Haute couture distinguishes itself from ready-to-wear when the designer intricately uses handcrafted fabrics and textures. With this in mind, designers Donna Beth and Alejandro Gaeta collaborated and created a beautifully crafted collection titled Nuovo Inizio, or A New Start.
Combining the elegance of Beth’s brand with the sexiness of Gaeta’s, each look channeled what a haute couture collection should — the feeling of awe and want.
It’s easy to picture running barefoot through a castle wearing the opening gown — a corset top with a Cinderella-esque physique. Straight out of a fantasy novel, the gown’s oversized bow was not only a unique touch but truly drew the eye. Following the alluring dress, a mermaid styled gown was just as much as a show stopper. The rectangle diamond-encrusted top combined with a giant bow on the shoulder and wavy hair felt reminiscent of an old Hollywood style dress.
As the collection continued, it was evident that Beth and Gaeta favored tulle, chiffon, feathers and bows to emphasize and bring each structured garment to life. Whether it was a flower made out of feathers, an off the shoulder bow, or intricate tulle sewed together on the back of a garment, each small touch made for a grander look.
While the princess-like gowns were a crowd pleaser, the jumpsuit, cape and mini dresses were just as enticing. The silkiness of the cape draped on the floor combined with the long bodycon dress was a powerful take on a classic gown. The monochromatic duo also had diamond embellishments on the shoulders and was paired with a dainty diamond belt — truly emphasizing that simplicity can be just as charming.
The strapless jumpsuit, like the others, was perfectly tailored and came with a twist. The bodice had luminescent colored lines and massive interwoven pieces of fabric covering the entire shoulder with feathers peeking out. The statement earrings tied in the gray colored trousers without taking away from the detailed top seamlessly.
The mini dresses were in a category of their own with their exemplary detailing and classiness. The textured fabrics combined with the complex detailing showed how attentive to detail Beth and Gaeta are. One look featured a rich purple monochromatic look that had a cropped suit top paired with a feathered skirt. Another was a pale blue puffy dress with textured leaf detailing and a giant bow on the back. Needless to say, no detail was too extravagant for Beth and Gaeta.
It’s the ability to take a minimalistic piece and take it one step further by interweaving the smallest details that made the Nuovo Inizio couture collection one of the most captivating yet. It truly was a night filled with glitz and glamour.
All photography by Jas Kitterman